Australian News and Analysis

The 24-hour NTEU/CPSU strike on Tuesday 14 May was the third in a campaign against Sydney University’s draconian plan to kick staff unions off campus, devastate their conditions and wages, and prepare the ground for future cuts. It was timed to coincide with the national day of action against Gillard’s [...]

Profits made by the big four Australian banks have increased astronomically in recent years. Most of this money was made after the banks refused to pass on the full amount of the interest rate cuts made by the Reserve Bank. In other words the money has effectively been taken from [...]

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke gave the go ahead to Toro’s $270 million uranium mining project in the Wiluna region of Western Australia last month. This decision has angered many people across the state especially the local aboriginal community – the Wiluna and Tarpla people. Wiluna elder, Glen Cooke, said [...]

Attend the national student strike on May 14 Last month federal Tertiary Education Minister Craig Emerson announced a further $2.8 billion in cuts to funding for higher education. This is on top of over $2 billion of cuts to tertiary education funding over the last six months. University staff and [...]

While Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex & Queer (LGBTIQ) activists are achieving victories around the world, the struggle for same sex marriage rights is yet to be won in Australia. Despite clear popular support for equal rights, the ALP Government continues to refuse to pass same sex marriage legislation through [...]

Editorial comment from the May 2013 edition of ‘The Socialist’ As we go to press this month the Coalition continues to hold an election-winning lead over Labor in the polls. In the lead up to the budget in mid May, there is much talk about the state of the nation’s [...]

In late April the Australian Education Union (AEU) announced a supposed ‘breakthrough’ in the teachers’ pay dispute which has been dragging on in Victoria for the last 2 years. To much fanfare they claimed that teachers, principals and education support staff would receive a pay increase between 16% – 20% [...]

If a fictional movie had been made about the dispute between the construction union (CFMEU) and building giant Grocon, the lead parts would revolve around the two respective leaders, John Setka from the CFMEU and Daniel Grollo from Grocon. By Stephen Jolly, Socialist Party If a scene included a fatal [...]

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has applied to Fair Work Australia to increase the minimum rate of pay for apprentices. However the demands are like a band aid on a gaping wound. The ACTU want the minimum rate of pay of all first year apprentices increased to just [...]

Earlier this year, Australian sport was rocked by an investigation carried out by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC). Known as Project Aperio, the ACC probe revealed an epidemic of substance abuse, match fixing and gambling, and links to organised crime in all codes. By Conor Flynn, Socialist Party Australia’s largest [...]